Finally tried emp this Sunday (10/26/25) for lunch after 7 years of being in the city (couldn’t afford it as a student the first four years; and then they went vegan in the last three). It was painfully average at best with the only saving grace being the land caviar, lavender honey duck’s return, and the granola. Duck is definitely worth the hype so if you want to try order it a la carte at the bar. Land caviar is an exciting and special dish. Each ingredient separately feels weird but together, combines so well. Other than that everything was so salty especially the soba and all the “pickled” veggies on the plate.
Even the service was lacking to my surprise. Three different servers asked me where I was from, one staff member totally judged me for saying how I loved caviar (in the context that the land caviar dish is almost as good), and they made us wait more than 20 minutes for a coffee because their machine broke down TWICE. Just expected more from an iconic new york institution. But this just proves my theory that two stars are so much better. Would pass on this and go elsewhere.
by Safe_Masterpiece_873
5 Comments
EMP’s food has been oversalted for a good while. Unacceptable at this level.
How much was it? I’ve always wanted to go but idk lately.
What a bummer. EMP was my favorite restaurant from 2012-2015. It was truly a spectacular dining experience.
I feel like fine dining institutions like EMP kind of lose their edge after a bit and the business just becomes about how many ten grand bottles of wine they can sell to filthy rich people.
I’ve been there twice. The first time was a few months before their renovation, when their menu featured their “best” dishes since opening. Interestingly, their signature duck wasn’t included on that menu, but to my surprise, they replaced one of the dishes with the duck just for me. The service that time was impeccable, and the food truly felt worthy of three Michelin stars.
The second time I went was right after the renovation. The service was still top-notch, but I found the food a bit underwhelming. It was overly salty, and the portions were noticeably smaller. Even the duck was much better during my first visit, and this time the portion was only half the size. It feels like the restaurant has been going downhill ever since the renovation.